The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has thrown its weight behind Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments that the President has no constitutional power to remove an elected governor, accusing President Bola Tinubu of “executive overreach” and illegal interference in Rivers State.
In a statement released on Friday by the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the Presidency’s clarification of Shettima’s remarks as “a mere attempt at political correctness” and insisted that the Vice President spoke the truth.
“This simple truth, which is anchored in the Nigerian Constitution, must not be lost in the fog of political correctness emanating from Aso Rock.
What made the removal of an elected governor wrong and unconstitutional under President Jonathan in the case of Borno State is the same that makes it wrong under President Tinubu in Rivers State,” the statement read.
Citing Shettima’s personal experience during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the ADC recalled how the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and former Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke advised that a President has no constitutional authority to remove even an elected councilor, let alone a governor.
The party accused President Tinubu of disregarding constitutional limits and warned that suspending a sitting governor sets a dangerous precedent.
“The ongoing executive overreach fueled by narrow political interests poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s democracy and federalism,” Abdullahi stated. “Nigeria is not a monarchy. The powers of the President are not absolute.”
The ADC contrasted Tinubu’s approach with that of former President Jonathan, who, despite severe security crises during the Boko Haram insurgency, respected constitutional boundaries in dealing with state governments.
Calling for immediate action, the ADC demanded that President Tinubu “restore democratic governance in Rivers State,” cease “illegal interference,” and apologize to Nigerians for what it described as an abuse of power.
“The ADC will continue to stand with the Nigerian people in defence of democracy, justice, and constitutionalism,” the statement concluded.